germ

A very small living thing, or a virus, that can cause illness.

• Soap helps remove germs from your hands.
• Coughing can spread germs through the air.
• This cleaner kills most household germs.

Similar words: pathogen

Common phrases: kill a germ, spread a germ, harmful germ

The first small idea or beginning from which something bigger develops.

• I have the germ of an idea.
• Her dream provided the germ of the story.
• Those early notes contained the germs of several later projects.

How to use it: germ of something (That conversation contained the germ of a new project.)

Similar words: seed, beginning, origin

Common phrases: germ of something, germ of an idea, germ of a plan

The part of a seed that can grow into a new plant.

• She adds wheat germ to her breakfast.
• The germ can grow into a new plant.
• Processing the grain removes much of its germ.

Similar words: embryo

Common phrases: wheat germ, seed germ, germ oil

A small group of cells from which a body part or a new living thing develops.

• The tooth germ forms beneath the gum.
• The surgeon removed a wisdom tooth germ.
• These germs develop into different parts of the organism.

How to use it: germ of something (The scan showed the germ of a developing tooth.)

Similar words: primordium, bud

Common phrases: tooth germ, developing germ, germ of something